Difficulties Breeding Crowntail Bettas

Crowntail bettas are a special type of betta fish that have large, fluffy, crown-like tails, hence their name. They are no different than any other freshwater betta and therefore have the same personality traits and are bred via the same process. They're typically aggressive toward other bettas and live solitary lives. Breeding crowntail bettas, or any bettas for that matter, brings about several difficulties that you may have to overcome if you are to be successful. Luckily, many of these problems may be remedied with patience and experience.

  1. The Breeding Tank

    • The first issue you'll have to face is how to set up the breeding tank. The male betta should have his own tank about five to ten gallons in size with a single floating piece of wood or plant to serve as an anchor for a future bubble nest and some hiding caves for scared females. The bettas will not breed without something that's floating in their tank. It should be warmed to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate a temperature rise during the breeding season. Use a filter on the lowest setting to keep the water clean as you would a normal betta tank.

    Selecting the Female

    • Male bettas will only breed with certain females, so finding one that he's willing to mate with may be a challenge. Set up a see-through divider in the tank and place the male on the side with the floating object and the female on the other side. The male will make a bubble nest on the floating object if the female is sufficient, indicating that he may be ready to mate. You may have to swap out females every few days until one meets his fancy.

    Careful Monitoring

    • The biggest difficulty those attempting to breed bettas may face is the possibility that the male may kill the female before they have a chance to mate. Remove the divider after the male has built his bubble nest and watch them very carefully. It is natural for the male to bully and nip and flare at the female as they mate, so do not be immediately alarmed. Remove the female immediately if she begins to sink to the bottom or shows signs of being physically damaged. It's possibly you may have to start all over again with a different female.

    Rearing the Fry

    • The fry are the baby bettas that emerge from the eggs and it is difficult to keep most of them alive and healthy. Set up a fry tank for the babies, which is a separate five gallon tank with similar water parameters to the breeding tank, and transfer them all over with a nylon net as soon as they hatch. You'll have to feed the babies a diet of liquid fry food for the first few days and possibly even weeks until they are large enough to eat foods like baby brine shrimp or crushed flakes. Transfer the babies to their own separate tanks when they reach about one inch long to prevent fighting.